We first came across Takomo irons three or four years ago as they were one of the big new names in the ‘direct to consumer’ market. They were one of a few brands who offered great quality products at lower costs than some of the big manufacturers, as you bought the gear directly from their website.
Fast forward to 2026 and Takomo have gone from strength to strength, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the huge influx of new golfers to the game post-Covid seem much more inclined to look at cheaper options like this, perhaps with less loyalty to certain brands or those typically found in the Pro Shop.
Takomo have also done a great job of marketing their products – there’s a good chance you may have seen them on your social media feeds over the past couple of years.
They’ve also benefitted from ambassadors such as YouTubers Grant Horvat and the Bryan Brothers, who are actually stake-holders and so help to promote the products.
Recently they’ve expanded their range to include wedges and metals such as the Takomo Ignis D1 Driver that we tested last year. We’re now on the second generation of their irons, and I got my hands on the new 201MkII Irons to see whether normal golfers should really consider these DTC options, and whether the latest model has improved on previous generations.
Who Are They Aimed At?
The 201 MKII irons come with an RRP of just £589 for a set of 7 irons, which is around half the price (or maybe less) than you’d pay for the equivalent model from the likes of TaylorMade, Titleist, Ping or Mizuno. If value for money is your main consideration – buy these irons.
As a DTC product, these could be perfect for newer golfers, perhaps younger golfers, who want a new set of irons but don’t want to pay full whack and aren’t loyal to a certain brand. They’d also be great if you’re a golfer who perhaps doesn’t get chance to play really regularly, although I would say you need to make sure you know your specs before you purchase.
201 MKII is the players distance model, and is perfect for golfers from 5 all the way up to about an 18 handicap. It has a lovely balance of forgiveness and distance but still looks compact, with a great all-round shelf appeal.
The Tech
Takomo say that they have improved the quality of the materials used in the development of their new irons. The irons are cast, with a 17-4 steel body that combines with a 17-4 steel face, and it’s designed to produce a smoother feel.
As a players distance iron they’re said to provide a blend of distance and forgiveness whilst keeping a more ‘tour inspired’ shape.
There’s a progressive weight system which optimises the right levels of loft and forgiveness for each iron in the range. The thin, variable thickness face encourages faster ball speeds for more distance.
Compared to the 101 MKII, which is more of a game-improvement set, the 201 features a shorter blade length, thinner sole and more compact topline.
Despite such a reasonable price tag you still get access to premium shafts and grips too. The irons come equipped with Lamkin Crossline grips and KBS Tour shafts as standard.
Takomo 201 MKII Irons Review
Looks
Compared to the previous generation of Takomo irons I think the overall looks are an improvement across the range – all of the latest models look fantastic.
They’ve made a couple of tweaks to the branding, with a smaller, more subtle logo on the back of the head giving a more premium look.
The overall finish of the head is excellent, and I really like the brushed chrome effect. The cavity itself is split into two main ‘sections’ and this actually reminded me of my own Titleist T150 irons, which meant I was pretty comfortable with the looks straight away.
Down by the ball I was impressed by the profile at address, with a neat and thin topline and a nice blade length.
The white bottom groove a-la Ping helps with framing up the ball and encourages a good strike, and the blade length should still appeal to most golfers without looking scary.
However the wedge wasn’t quite as sleek as you might see from a Mizuno, TaylorMade or Titleist iron of this type, as it has a bit of offset and quite a rounded leading edge which wasn’t quite to my eye.
Feel
If you’re looking for reasons why these irons might be so much cheaper than the bigger names in the market, one of them might be due to the materials used and some of the technologies in the head to bolster these.
The 201 MKII irons have a bit of a firmer sound and feel than other players distance irons that I have tested, and they don’t feel quite as hot off the face either. Compared to something like the TaylorMade P790, it’s more of a ‘dead’ feel from the face rather than the pop that the hollow body construction might suggest.
Having said that, there is still plenty of forgiveness there despite the pretty compact shape, although the overall weight of the head does feel quite heavy, so I wasn’t predicting huge distances when I put them on the GCQuad.
Performance
Despite being a players distance iron, the lofts are actually pretty conservative which is refreshing to see – Takomo are not just chasing all-out distance. A loft of 31 degrees in the 7 iron is weaker than both the P790s and the Titleist T250 irons.
As a result, on the launch monitor I wasn’t seeing any numbers that really jumped out, but I was impressed with the consistency across the board.
Apart from a couple mis-strikes, I saw pretty small disparities within carry distance, launch and peak height, meaning that you can trust these irons will do pretty much what you expect more often than not.
I was also quite surprised by the spin rates. This is something I often struggle with when testing players distance irons, but with the 201 MKI they were relatively high for me which is good. For me this means more control, and better stopping power into the greens.
I did notice quite a flat ball flight, as well as a tendency to draw thanks to a little bit of offset, but overall I was impressed. An average carry of 123 yards with the wedge and 160 yards with the 7 iron is right where I’d want it, and it’s nice that Takomo have resisted the urge to ‘juice’ the irons up to give golfers a few extra yards.
I only got one shot which was with the 7 iron that I would class as being really ‘hot’ that came out with just over 4000rpm spin and carried nearly 166 yards. This is always a bit of a worry with players distance irons, but on the whole it was a really predictable and solid ball flight.
On the course the thing that impressed me most was the forgiveness, even despite the more compact shape. The sole design made it feel pretty easy to keep the club going through the turf, even in some pretty wet and thick rough, which helped with forgiveness.
As I moved into the long irons I did find that the heavier overall weight made things a little hard to get going, although there are a choice of different shaft profiles so picking something a bit lighter might be a consideration.
Takomo 201 MKII Irons Verdict
When I tested the first generation Takomo 101T irons I was impressed with both the overall quality of the product, and the performance that they produced for the price.
The 201 MKII follows suit. The looks have been upgraded slightly so that the overall package just feels a bit more premium, but the performance is still there.
It feels like Takomo have really hit their stride now and they have also gathered a pretty decent following of golfers too. I think their woods still need a bit of work to catch up with the big boys, but if you were to stick another badge on these irons I really don’t think you’d be able to tell the difference.
If you want a set of irons at a lower price point, and you know your specs, these could be a fantastic option for the 2026 season.
Would I Use Them?
Personally if I was going to spend hundreds of pounds on new golf clubs I would like the extra security of having been fitted by an expert first, but if I was looking for a budget set of irons these would be right near the top of my list.
